U.S. Conference of Mayors Calls on U.S. Supreme Court to Promptly Rule in Favor of the Freedom to Marry

At its annual meeting today in Dallas, the U.S. Conference of Mayors overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling on federal courts, including the Supreme Court, to expeditiously bring an end to marriage discrimination against gay couples nationwide.

Mayors from states that still ban marriage for same-sex couples, including Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Colorado, Missouri, and Georgia, were among those who led passage of the resolution. Mayor Greg Stanton of Phoenix – a co-chair of Mayors for the Freedom to Marry – was a leader in introducing the resolution.

“From small towns to big cities, America’s mayors know that including gay couples in the freedom to marry does nothing but strengthen families and communities for all,” said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. “The U.S. Conference of Mayors has made it clear that it’s time for the federal appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court to follow the lead of numerous states and a wave of over 20 federal and state courts and bring an end to marriage discrimination nationwide. A year after the Supreme Court demolished the arguments propping up marriage discrimination, it’s time for the Court to finish the job and rule in favor of the freedom to marry once and for all.”

Gay couples can marry in 19 states and the District of Columbia, meaning that 44% of Americans live in a freedom to marry state, up from zero a little more than a decade ago. Nearly 60% of Americans support the freedom to marry and in the past year, 15 federal judges – appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents – have found marriage discrimination unconstitutional, with zero ruling to the contrary.

Today’s resolution, which passed by voice vote, states that, “The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms its support of the freedom to marry for same-sex couples and urges the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, to speedily bring national resolution by ruling in favor of the freedom to marry nationwide.”